Ai Weiwei has spent his career speaking truth to power through his art. He has been almost uniquely indignant towards state abuses of power, unafraid to stand up for what he believes in, even in the face of persecution by the Chinese government. An artist of such courage, talent and intellect was the logical fit for GQ's Maddox Gallery Artist Award at the 2019 Men Of The Year Awards.

When Dylan Jones sat down with Ai to discuss his work, 30 years after Tiananmen Square, it came as another great protest against the Chinese government rose: the 2019 wave of protests in Hong Kong. The latest rebellion against mainland rule has been longer and in some ways more furious than others that have come before.

"The Hong Kong situation is obviously the most important challenge they’ve had since 1989," said Ai, "because the Chinese government is trying to destroy the concept of “One country, two systems.” This is probably the worst moment for China to break its promise, because it simply doesn’t have any credit."

The protests originally opposed a bill proposed by Hong Kong's government, which would allow local authorities to extradite felons and send them back to territories Hong Kong did not have agreements with, such as mainland China. It's seen as a way of eroding the autonomy of the region and its citizens, of subjecting people to the flawed Chinese legal system. The bill has now been withdrawn, but getting to that point has led to staunch protests in Hong Kong, matched with even more staunch resistance from China.

"You can’t be a legitimate government if you use tanks and military to maintain your status quo," Ai added. "But I can only see it getting worse, although the demonstrations will make it difficult for China to maintain their internal stability."

While Ai always thought the extradition bill would be suppressed, "there are so many other decisions China could make to get what it wants. Hong Kong really needs an independent government, but China will never let it happen. So the struggle will go on."

For Ai, China is a threat that the world needs to pay more attention to. "The West is facing a big monster in every respect," he told Jones. "The West has lost its competitive edge, as China has a very clear vision, a clear strategy and a very clear idea of the fight ahead. They are killing through capitalism.
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